Soulmates
by KeiChanz
Summary: Looking up at the sky can hold different meanings for different people. Maybe it holds life's answers for the lost and helpless, or perhaps it can offer a calming view for a troubled soul. But for two lonely and hopeless souls, all gazing up at the sky did was serve as a reminder for what they were sure they'd never have.


So a few words and notes about this particular piece which was for **Inukag Week** day seven: _soulmates._ You can find the rest of the prompts, days one through six, in **Keiz's Closet,** starting with chapter 53 _._ I'm actually very happy with how this turned out, and because of that and since it's a little more lengthy, I decided it post it as an individual oneshot.

So, moving on, you know that soulmate au that was occasionally floats around on FB and tumblr that talks about you not being able to see the color that is your soulmate's eyes until you meet them? Well…that inspired this.

I don't know the first thing about floral design or even which flowers are native to Japan, but for the sake of this fic, let's pretend every flower mentioned is magically available year round.

The name of the shop, The Bellflower, is supposed to be a reference for Kikyou but I didn't know where to fit an explanation for the shop's history and name in without it seeming like an unnecessary paragraph tacked on at random.

The _Charcoal Corral_ is an actual pet friendly restaurant and drive-in with a mini-golf course where I live and they did have a little doggie dinner you could get for your pooch, complete with a bowl of soft serve vanilla ice cream. I'm not sure if they still offer it, but I thought it was a nice addition. Also, can I have a Sadie please she's so adorable aaaahhh.

And speaking of, when Inuyasha says her nickname, it's pronounced "Saydz," like the first part of Sadie with a z.

And a random note: I have an obsession with short-haired Inuyasha and I'm not sorry. You can blame the lovely and talented **ArtisteFish** for that. XD

Okay, enough of my rambling. Enjoy!

 **Soulmates**

"Kagome."

From across the room of _The Bellflower_ , a young woman wearing a light green apron with dark hair and startling clear blue eyes paused in her current activity to look up and gaze curiously over at the shop owner. "Yes, Kaede?" she asked with a smile, grabbing the rag she kept in her back pocket to wipe the dirt off her hands as she stepped around the table.

The elderly shop owner and her boss smiled kindly and gestured to the attractive woman standing beside her, who smiled in greeting and gave a polite nod. "Could you please fetch Izayoi's order? It's in the back in cooler number two labeled 'Takahashi.'"

Kagome's smile broadened and she nodded. "Of course! I'll be right back with your order, ma'am." Tucking the rag back into her pocket, she crossed the room, weaving around display tables holding beautiful, colorful arrangements that Kagome had made herself and pushed open the door marked Employees Only that led into the backroom where most of the designing took place and orders were kept.

The smell of fresh soil was heavy in the air as she trekked across the cement floor toward the storage coolers at the back of the room, but paused at the second design table and made a face at the half-finished arrangement that she couldn't seem to get right. Since Kaede was out in shop, she'd been spending most of her shift in the backroom, playing with different colors, seeing what went together best, but no matter what she did, nothing seemed to work. She'd finally given up and stormed out into the shop in a fit of frustration, hoping that maybe a change of scenery would give her some fresh inspiration.

That had been half an hour ago, and Kagome had been in the middle of making a round to each display table and checking for dead or wilted flowers when Kaede had asked her to retrieve an order from the back, so here she was.

Making a face at the colorful, unfinished floral arrangement that sat in a decorative vase, Kagome continued her way to the back, idly wondering if that woman was a regular customer since Kaede had called her by name. It was likely; she had only just started working here a week prior so she had yet to learn all of their regulars' names. Kagome was largely looking forward it to, though. She absolutely loved working here and making beautiful, colorful floral arrangements for people to awe at and admire. Kaede was the perfect boss, too. Sweet, kind and just the most likable old lady Kagome had ever met, the young woman was extremely lucky to have such a patient and warm woman as her mentor.

Approaching the floral coolers that reminded her of the grocery store coolers which held cold drinks, Kagome swung open the glass door to the second one and scanned the changeable labels lining the shelves. "Lessee, Takahashi…Taka…Taka…" Kagome smiled when she spotted the correct name. "Ah _ha_ , there you…are…oh."

Her smile faded somewhat when she got a good look at Izayoi Takahashi's order, however it did not disappear completely and it took on an edge of wistful sadness. Slowly, carefully, Kagome pulled out the desired arrangement and wandered back over to the design table to set it down and double check everything was as it should be. Her fingers tenderly brushed the soft petals as her mind automatically supplied the names of the flowers which made up the design; chrysanthemums, irises, hibiscus, some dahlia, and of course the ever common lily. Little tufts of baby's breath poked out from beneath the vibrant petals, with white freesia intermittently dotting the bouquet as well, and the whole ensemble, which was all in the same color, reminded Kagome of spring, sunshine, and warmth.

Bending down to take in the pleasant perfume the flowers emitted, another smile tugged at her lips and she released the breath in a sigh, her blue eyes sad. Kagome loved working at the flower shop, she truly did. However…sometimes it was difficult, being reminded pretty much everyday that she would always be alone, that there wasn't any hope for her in finding her Soulmate. At first, back when she'd been young and foolish, Kagome had been in denial, adamantly believing that her color-blindness for that particular shade was just a one-in-a-million thing, that she had just happened to be that one unlucky person diagnosed with the rare Tritanopia.

But no matter how much she wanted it to be true, no matter how much she prayed, the fact was Kagome had never had a problem with seeing the color blue. After all, she knew what color her eyes were because she looked in a mirror everyday, and that only proved to further solidify her fate. It was only that one, damnedable shade, the one color Kagome had never once been able to detect in her twenty-five years of life. And it wasn't until she turned eighteen that she had finally given in and accepted her fate, that she didn't have some kind of disability that prevented her enjoying all the colors on the spectrum. She had accepted the fact that it was the only color she couldn't see, and it would always remain so until the day she died.

Because, after all, who had ever heard of somebody having yellow eyes?

Yellow, like the daffodils and sunflowers that Kagome loved to arrange. Yellow like the buttercups that dotted her backyard. Yellow like the butterflies that liked to flit from flower to flower, seeking sweet nectar.

And yellow like the bright, brilliant sun, in which Kagome had never been able to truly enjoy.

But yellow eyes?

Kagome smiled ruefully. "Almost just as rare as someone having blue eyes," she murmured to herself and decided she'd dawdled enough and Kaede was probably wondering what was taking so long. Shaking her head, Kagome stared at what should have been a vibrant array of yellow blossoms before her, but instead only saw various shades of grays for a moment longer then carefully gathered the bouquet in her hands and made her way back out onto the shop floor, plastering a smile back on her face.

"Sorry it took so long," she apologized as she approached the beautiful woman and her boss. "I wanted to wash my hands of soil so I wouldn't smudge the order and the sink was being faulty again."

Kaede's glanced at the beautiful bouquet cradled in her hands and her eyes softened in understanding. She was the only other one, besides her family, who knew of her predicament but not because Kagome told her. She'd managed to figure it out on her own in the brief time the young woman had been working here. "Tis not a problem, dear. Izayoi and I were just catching up." She turned to the aforementioned woman and gestured to her employee. "Izayoi, this is Kagome. She just started working for me about a week ago and I must say she's been very valuable and helpful to me since then." She smiled genuinely at the young woman and Kagome blushed as she handed over the woman's order.

"It's wonderful to meet you, Kagome," Izayoi said sincerely, cradling her flowers in her arms. "Kaede is a dear friend of mine and…oh," she gasped softly in surprise, her eyes widening slightly and Kagome blinked, puzzled at the sudden change. An awed smile lifted the corners of her lips slightly and strangely she looked like she was about a minute away from crying. "You have…blue eyes," she breathed in amazement and Kagome wondered at the hopeful glint in her gaze.

The younger woman's flush deepened and she ducked her head briefly before realizing it was rude and lifted her face back up with an embarrassed smile. "Ah, y-yes," she stammered then cleared her throat and explained, "My father was American. I've actually just moved back to Japan about a month ago to be closer to my mother after living over there for ten years. I…got the eye color from him." She shrugged in a "what can ya do" manner and offered a more genuine smile.

Izayoi nodded, tilting her head to the side as she studied the beautiful young woman before her. _I wonder…_ "Kagome," she began a little haltingly, not really wanting to come off as prying or intrusive, but she couldn't let this go. It was too good to be true, and she _had_ to know. "May I…ask you a somewhat random question?"

Kagome's clear blue eyes flared slightly in surprise, but she nodded regardless, curious despite herself while Kaede stood back, a knowing glint in her wide brown eyes and a secret smile curling her lips.

Izayoi smiled again. "Tell me…what's your favorite color?"

When the young woman seemed to deflate before her and those beautiful blue eyes of hers grew sad, Izayoi instantly felt bad and was about to apologize, but the wistful smile curling Kagome's lips stalled her and she waited, watching as she lifted a hand and tenderly brushed her fingertips against the petals of one of the lilies in the bouquet she held.

"It's yellow," she answered quietly after a pregnant pause and missed the way Izayoi's eyes positively lit up and the smile on her face was radiant.

"What a coincidence," she said softly and dropped her gaze to the magnificent yellow flowers in her arms. "It's mine, too."

 **-X-**

By the time Izayoi got home she was positively bustling with excitement and she couldn't seem to wipe the brilliant smile off her face. With the beautiful flowers still in her arms, she entered her house and beelined for the kitchen, hoping her son hadn't left yet. She wouldn't spoil the good news, of course, but she needed to make sure he hadn't lost all hope just yet.

She entered the kitchen and threw her husband a smile. "Darling," she greeted and tilted her face to receive his kiss when he ambled over to her. "Is Inuyasha still here? I need to talk to him." With a giddy laugh, Izayoi set the flowers on the kitchen island and set about making sure they were absolutely perfect.

Tai arched a brow at his wife's sunny disposition and he smiled in amusement. "Yes, he's still in the garage," he answered, glad that his Izayoi seemed to be in such a happy mood, but curious all the same. "What's got you so cheerful, my love? You're practically levitating." He laughed.

Spinning around, unable to bear the secret by herself anymore, Izayoi walked over to her husband and put her hands on his chest, tipping her face up and smiling form ear to ear. "I met Kaede's new employee today," she began, her eyes bright, glistening.

Tai blinked. "Indeed?" he murmured, wondering what that had to do with anything.

His wife giggled, bit her lip, then said reverently as she gazed into her beloved's glorious amber eyes, "She has blue eyes, darling."

Tai was unresponsive for a moment, his brain digesting that new bit of information, and then all at once his eyes widened, his mouth dropped, and he looked just bout as excited as she was. "She—?" he said and grinned widely as his wife vigorously nodded, another joyful laugh bubbling up to escape past her lips. Releasing a happy laugh, Tai gathered his small wife in his arms and spun her around, the mutual joy for their son ringing loud and clear throughout the house.

After several celebratory kisses and hugs, the dog demon finally released his wife so she could track down their son and assure that his hope hadn't waned enough to completely give up. Izayoi touched her husband's cheek, smiled lovingly at him, then brushed past him toward the little niche in their kitchen that led to the garage in which their youngest son was no doubt covered head to toe in grease and fiddling under the hood of her car that had been giving her problems as of late. She was glad he was so mechanically inclined; it saved them so much money since they didn't have take their vehicles to a professional shop.

She went down the three steps and opened the door to the two-car garage; the radio was playing with the volume down low and the scents of oil, metal, and freshly cut grass assaulted her senses. _Someone just mowed the lawn,_ was the idle thought that crossed her mind just as a very large and very friendly Husky came barreling at her from around her car and as was customary, refused to her let her pass until she got her mandatory lovins.

Laughing, Izayoi knelt down and gave the dog her obligatory scratches and pets. "Hello, Sadie," she cooed and the Husky gave her kisses in return. "Such a good girl." With a final kiss to her nose, Izayoi stood back up and, satisfied, Sadie trotted away to return to her sprawled out position not far from where her master was working.

However, instead of poking around under the hood where she'd thought he'd be, Inuyasha was tinkering around beneath the car and all she could see was his badly stained and ripped jean clad bottom half sticking out near the rear tires. Smiling in amusement, Izayoi folded her arms and waited, having no doubt that her son knew she was there either by Sadie's enthusiastic greeting or her scent.

And soon enough, after about another minute, she heard a grunt, a clanking sound, and then he was scooting out from under the vehicle and pushing to his feet, wiping his hands off on a nearly black rag and she wondered if it was even doing any good. And, as she'd suspected, his simple white tee shirt was covered in grease and other unidentifiable dark stains and his face had several smudges as well. A backward baseball cap covered his ears and his short shaggy silver hair was in dire need of washing.

"Is my son under all that grease somewhere, or shall I fetch the hose?" she teased.

Inuyasha grinned and spread his arms. "Gimme a hug, Mom." He started moving forward and laughing, his mother darted away.

"Ack! Don't you dare, young man!" She pointed a finger at him with a grin of her own and chuckling, Inuyasha relented, backing away with his palms up in surrender.

Shaking her head, Izayoi cautiously moved closer, eyeing her son warily – he raised his brows innocently but she didn't trust that for a minute – and when he didn't try that stunt again, she propped her hip against the car and inquired, "So, diagnosis?"

Taking his hat off to run a dirty hand through his already dirty hair, Inuyasha blew out his cheeks and frowned down at the vehicle in question. "I think it's the alternator and it needs a new serpentine belt, too. It's getting pretty ragged and it's a little lose, which is why it's making that squealing sound when you start it up sometimes. I was just finishing up the oil change when you came in."

Izayoi nodded, trusting her son's judgment. "Is it an easy fix?"

He shrugged and shoved his cap back on, crossing his arms. "Yeah, it's not so bad. I have an extra belt and I'll start looking for a reasonably priced alternator here shortly. In the meantime though, use Dad's truck if you wanna go anywhere. I don't feel comfortable with you driving it around with a lose belt and bad alternator."

Izayoi wrinkled her nose. "You know I don't like driving that beast," she said and the look she shot the massive F-250 was less than enthusiastic.

"Yeah, I know, but I'd rather your safety than comfort, Mom," Inuyasha said and her expression softened. "Just have Dad drive you, or if I'm available I'll be your personal chauffeur. Deal?" He offered a lopsided grin and goodness, how could she possibly say no to that?

"Oh, alright," she conceded and her son's relief was visible.

"Thanks, Mom," he said and when he leaned forward she didn't move away, smiling when he kissed her cheek. "I'll get it done as soon as I can, promise."

"I know, dear," she replied and watched as he vanished behind the hood again, evidently not quite finished with poking around. Izayoi bit her lip, hesitated, and then called, "Inuyasha?"

"Yeah?" He didn't bother looking up but after several seconds of silence, Inuyasha peered around the hood and frowned. "Mom?"

"Well…I was just doing some thinking today…" his mother began and Inuyasha already knew where she was going with this.

Heaving a sigh and bracing his hands just above the grill, Inuyasha closed his eyes and tried to keep his aggravation on the subject leashed. "Mom, don't. Please," he implored, tired of her always bring it up, really not in the mood to hear it today.

Of course his mother didn't listen and suddenly she was beside him, looking a little guilty but there was a new resolve in her eyes that Inuyasha wondered about. "I'm sorry dear, but I just want you to be happy. I know you don't like it whenever I bring it up, but I just don't want you to give up. It's so important to me that you never lose hope, my love. All I've ever wanted is your happiness, that's the only reason why I always say this."

Inuyasha was silent, staring hard at the wires, pipes, and metalwork that he'd just spent the last hour and a half buried in. Finally he sighed and stood upright, however he didn't meet his mother's eyes. "The only woman I need in my life is Sadie," he murmured at length and at the sound of her name, the Husky popped up and trotted over to nudge at his hand with her nose. He scratched her ears with his claws, being careful not to smudge her fur with his oil-stained hand.

Izayoi echoed his sigh at the response, the one he gave almost every single time the subject arose. "Inuyasha," she said and waited until he looked at her before reaching up and tenderly cupping his face, uncaring now of the grease smearing it. "Just promise me you won't give up? For me?" She gave a hopeful smile, her eyes pleading with him.

Inuyasha sucked in a breath and closed his eyes as his shoulders slumped in defeat. Dammit, he could never deny his mother anything, especially when she looked at him like that. Desperately hoping he wouldn't live to regret this, he opened his eyes and gave a short nod.

His mother's smile was radiant and it elicited his own smile, though it was small. "Thank you, darling," she whispered and pulled his face down so she could kiss his nose, the only place on his face grease-free. "You've made your mother very happy."

He said nothing and watched her head back to the door that opened up into the kitchen but then arched a brow in question when she paused and turned around to regard him inquisitively.

"By the way, dear," she began, a smile flirting with her lips. "I just remembered that next Saturday I'm having lunch with Sesshomaru and Kagura and won't be able to pick up my weekly order at _The Bellflower._ Would you do your mother a favor and pick it up for me around noon, please?"

Inuyasha frowned at the odd request but shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. A friend's dropping off his car that morning, but I should be done in time."

His mother beamed. "Thank you, dear. Just talk to Kagome and she'll get it for you." With that, she blew him a kiss then disappeared back into the kitchen, closing the door softly behind her.

"Kagome?" he echoed, frowning at the unfamiliar name. "Must be new," he mused then shrugged it off, uncaring.

Heaving a sigh and then shaking his head, Inuyasha stretched, deciding to forget about the conversation he'd just had with his mother and concentrate on fixing her car. He could get the belt in today if he wanted, but it wouldn't make sense to do that without a new alternator so he'd put it off until he could order a new one, either online or at one of the auto shops in town. For now, though, a hot shower sounded like a good idea. The stench of oil, grease and sweat, however used to it he was, was still unpleasant and he was done playing around with cars for the day, anyway, as much as he enjoyed it.

He went about packing up his tools and cleaning up any messes he'd made before shutting the hood to his mom's car, and Sadie stood up, tail wagging, ready to go home. Inuyasha grinned at his dog, rubbed her head affectionately then jerked his head and getting the hint, the Husky barked once and ran outside via the open garage door, sniffing around the front yard a bit before going over to wait patiently beside his truck.

Inuyasha watched her fondly with a smile, but it quickly faded and a frown took its place. It was true what he'd said earlier; his beloved dog really was the only girl he needed in his life. He'd had her since she was a pup, absolutely adored her and he knew Sadie returned the affection. She was loyal, protective, possessive – a fleeting grin lit his face when he recalled her less than receptive reaction to all his ex-girlfriends – and he knew he could trust her to never break his heart. Hell, she was pretty much perfect when it came to females, and he was happy with his one and only girl by his side.

But… He sighed again and dragged a hand down his face, propping his shoulder against doorway and staring listlessly at his dog, who'd grown bored waiting for him and was now wandering around aimlessly and sniffing everything in creation. Okay, so maybe that last part was a lie; maybe he wasn't _truly_ happy, but what choice did he have other than to settle with what he already had? He was a half-demon; that fact alone made it difficult enough to find anybody interested in a relationship with him. Throw in fucking fate or destiny or whatever the hell you call it that thought up that _Soulmate_ bullshit which ordained you could only obtain _true_ happiness with one person, and that booted it right up to damn near impossible. Which explained why all of his past relationships had failed, but that never stopped him from stupidly trying.

 _Oh, and let's not forget the fucking eye color thing,_ Inuyasha thought with a scowl. _Just another heap of shit on my already steaming pile of ways to fuck me over._ He allowed himself a minute of bitterness, and then snorted and shook his head, grumbling under his breath. Despite all of his negative feelings about the whole thing, however, he _had_ promised his mother that he wouldn't give up hope, or whatever, and aside from Sadie, she was the most important woman in his life. He'd never broken a promise to her in his life, and he wasn't about to start now, however bleak the situation appeared to be.

 _I just hope she won't be too disappointed when I remain alone for the rest of my miserable half-demon life,_ he mused sourly as he finally pushed away from the doorway and picked up his toolbox.

 _Because, after all_ , his thoughts continued as he stepped out onto the asphalt and tipped his head back to look up at the dull gray sky, _where the hell am I ever gonna meet someone with blue eyes in Japan?_

Something cold and wet nudged his hand and he looked down to find Sadie, tongue lolling out of her mouth, head cocked to the side, and her mismatched gaze of gray and green staring up at him.

Inuyasha's face softened and he released a soft chuckle as he crouched down and scratched the Husky's ears. He received a doggy kiss to his chin in return. _Well, someone with_ two _blue eyes, anyway,_ he silently amended, his mood suddenly lightened. Sadie always had that affect on him. If he was feeling own, she always had the ability to bring him right back up and he adored her for it.

"You'll always be my number one girl," he whispered and dropped a kiss to her muzzle before straightening and walking to his truck, opening up the driver's side door. "C'mon, Sads," he called and swung his toolbox into the bed. "Time to go home. I'm thinkin' _Charcoal Corral_ for dinner."

Sadie perked right up and she gave a little _whuff_ , her tail wagging as her front paws danced excitedly.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes but he was grinning. "Yes, I'll get you their doggy special."

With a gleeful bark, Sadie wasted no time in darting forward and leaping into the red Ford, taking her customary place in the passenger's seat and having the call to look at him like, "Well what are you waiting for?"

Inuyasha gave his dog a deadpan stare. "Spoiled brat."

She barked at him.

Shaking his head, but chuckling, Inuyasha hauled himself up behind the wheel, closed the door and started it up before backing out and taking off down the street.

 **-X-**

One week later at approximately 12:30 pm, a red Ford pickup pulled up in front of _The Bellflower_ and Inuyasha quickly hopped out, throwing a "Stay, girl, I'll be right back," to his dog and taking a minute to give himself a once over before heading inside. The car he'd been working on before coming here had taken him longer than anticipated and already running late, he hadn't had time to change into clean clothes. Thankfully though he'd managed to keep them mostly strain-free and he'd spared a minute to at least scrub his face and hands before taking off.

 _Can't say anything for my smell, though,_ he thought as he discreetly smelled is arm and wrinkled his nose, but then shrugged. _Meh, whatever. I'm only gonna be a minute anyway._

Thinking he was as good as he as gonna get, Inuyasha pulled his worn ballcap down tighter on his head and pushed open the door to his mother's favorite flower shop.

Inside, Kaede was in the middle of filling out various order forms for plant food, soil and other inventory they needed when the bell above the door rang clear through the shop. The elderly shop owner looked up, and she was somehow not surprised to find grease-stained clothes and shaggy silver hair sauntering inside, hands deep in his pockets and amber eyes looking curiously around.

 _Izayoi, you sly little devil,_ she inwardly chuckled to herself and smiled in welcome to the half-demon. "Inuyasha," Kaede greeted warmly. "It's been a while. Picking up for your mother, I assume?"

The silver-haired half-demon directed his gaze over to the front desk and offered a grin in return, striding over to where she was. "Hey, old woman," he said fondly, knowing she would take no offence. "Yeah, I've been busy with work and crap. Sorry I'm late. I know Mom said noon, but the car I was working on took longer than I thought. Didn't even have time to change."

She eyed his clothes and arched a brow. "I see that," Kaede said dryly and only shook her head in amusement when he simply grinned unrepentantly.

"Kagome just went out back to the greenhouse," Kaede explained. "She'll be back shortly and I'll have her get your order." She watched as recognition flared briefly in Inuyasha's eyes and she fought a knowing smile. _Ah,_ she thought. _So Izayoi mentioned her name, but nothing more._ "Where is that dog of yours?" she continued, her mind already plotting. "You usually bring her with you."

Inuyasha visibly brightened. "Sadie's with me, but I left her in the truck since I was only gonna be a few minutes anyway. Why don't you go say hi? I left the windows down and she probably misses you." He shrugged, thinking he wouldn't mind sticking around a few extra minutes if it meant his girl could see one of her favorite people.

Kaede's brown eyes twinkled. "I think I will," she agreed, and then they both heard the sound of a door slamming coming from the back and without missing a beat the shop owner called, "Kagome?"

A series of grunts and the sound of something heavy being dragged across the floor before a short "Yeah?" echoed back to her.

"The Takahashi order is ready to be picked up," she said, watching the half-demon carefully out of the corner of her good eye. He was staring at the door that led into the back with curiosity, and she knew those ears of his were twitching under his cap, straining to pick up every sound.

"Okay! Um, I'll be out in just a minute, ma'am!" Kagome called back, obviously thinking it was Izayoi picking up again, and Kaede couldn't hold back the chuckle at Inuyasha's slightly affronted look. " _Ah!_ No, don't tip over you stupid bag! _Eee!_ "

Kaede shook her head, already used to her employee's near daily struggle with bringing the heavy bag of soil inside. "I believe I'll go say hello to Sadie now," she said, grabbing a doggy treat from under the desk she kept for that exact purpose and not failing to miss the tiny smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he watched the door. She patted his arm. "Kagome will take good care of you," she said, the double meaning lost on the half-demon as he merely nodded. Smiling to herself, Kaede shuffled to the door slyly flipped the sign on the door from open to closed before easing open the door and letting it click softly shut behind her.

Resisting the urge to kick the stupid bag and make even more of a mess than she already had, Kagome huffed, settling for a deadly glare at the offending one thousand freaking pound bag (okay so it was only fifty, but _whatever_ ) before spinning around and going to retrieve Mrs. Takahashi's order, trying to shake off as much as the soil that spilled on her as she could. This one was composed entirely of tulips in shades of red, orange, and yellow. Kagome smiled as she grabbed it from the cooler and hip-checked the door to close it. Izayoi certainly favored warm, vibrant colors, she noted as she headed toward the door.

 _I would kill to see her garden,_ she thought idly as she shifted the bouquet to one arm and used her free hand to brush off some of the soil as she used her butt to open the door, grateful it was of the swinging kind. "Sorry about the wait," she said as she approached the counter, eyes scanning over the blossoms in her grasp for any dirt she might have missed. "I kinda sorta spilled a bag of topsoil back there and I tried to clean up as much as I could before getting your flowers. I hope my hands didn't get too much soil on them—"

Kagome looked up, and the tulips fell to the floor.

Shocked blue clashed with astonished gold and time stopped. Kagome stumbled back a step, fingers hovering before her lips, pressing her free hand to her suddenly thundering heart while she watched, wide-eyed, as the man took a cautious, halting step toward her, his mouth moving but no sound forthcoming, one hand raised, hesitant, disbelieving.

 _Gold_ , she thought, feeling an onslaught of tears prick the back of her eyes. _Not…not yellow._ **Gold.** Suddenly remembering, Kagome dropped her gaze to the flowers at her feet, and gasped, a quiet, almost hysterical sob erupting from her throat.

She could see them. The flowers. She could _see_ the bright yellow of the tulips with the red and orange, mixing together beautifully, creating a vibrant rainbow and her vision blurred as she whipped her head back up. The man had moved closer and was before her now but she couldn't move. Her feet were rooted to the spot and, strangely, she didn't want to move. Kagome held her breath, teary blue eyes locked with magnificent, ardent amber as his hands slowly lifted to cup her face and another sob, this one borne of joy, bubbled up from her throat. She smelled oil and grease, and didn't even care.

Kagome felt…conflicted. Jubilated, awed, shocked, and befuddled all at the same time. She couldn't believe it, and yet the proof was right in front of her face. Honey-gold eyes that were staring so intently into her own, swirling with emotions, some of which mirrored her own, and some that made her heart skip a beat. She wanted to jump into his arms, she wanted to run away; she wanted to laugh, she wanted to cry; Kagome wanted to question just what the hell was happening, and she wanted to just dive right in, bared, vulnerable, open to whatever he was willing to give her. It was crazy, it was scary, and it was… _wonderful._

Blue. Her eyes were blue, and they were the most gorgeous, stunning crystal blue eyes Inuyasha had ever seen, nevermind that they were the _only_ blue eyes he'd ever seen. _But they're the only ones that matter,_ he thought, swallowing the lump in his throat. And that thought _should_ have had alarms going off in his head, should have had him reeling back in shock at himself, but for some reason, one he didn't even have the slightest inclination to dwell on, he felt like he'd known this woman for years despite only having met her literally two minutes ago. The connection, the instant bond; it was real, it was damn near palpable, and fuck if he wanted to question what seemed so natural, what was meant to be. What was _fated_ to be.

This woman…she was made for him, he for her, and that was the all of it.

His Soulmate – his goddamn _Soulmate,_ Jesus Christ – lifted trembling hands, pushed his cap off his head, and her touch was soft, reverent, as she tenderly cupped his face, and Inuyasha was uncaring of the soil that smudged her hands. Taking a shaky breath, he leaned forward to rest his forehead against her own as he carefully thumbed away the tears leaking from her beautiful blue eyes and cascaded down her cheeks.

"…Hi," he said roughly, emotion making his throat tight, his mind to go blank. Christ, what was wrong with him? He meets his motherfucking _Soulmate_ for the first time and all he can say is fucking _hi?_

Somebody give him a goddamn medal, the boy is _smooth._

 _Fucking idiot._

A small laugh burst from her throat, her warm breath fanning against his lips, and she gave a watery but genuine smile. "Hi," she breathed back, those brilliant baby blues fringed with dark, thick lashes closing briefly but fluttered right back open; she couldn't stop staring into his beautiful golden eyes. "I'm…Kagome," she muttered, and then blushed.

But then he smiled and her heart beat just a little faster. "Kagome," he repeated, his thumbs stroking her flushed cheeks. He sighed, and then one of his hands slid into her hair, fingers tangling in the midnight waves as he ever so gently tipped her head back. "Inuyasha," he muttered, and his lips brushed over hers in the sweetest of kisses, the touch whisper soft, but it nonetheless sent a jolt straight through her body, and she gasped.

Again and again his lips met hers, light, teasing kisses, his mouth clinging, lingering, greedy for the feel and taste of hers and she happy obliged, letting him take his fill, kissing him back and wondering if anything had ever felt so _right_ before in her life.

Neither knew how long they stood there for, trading kisses, little smiles, and soft sighs of bliss and by time they'd finally stopped, Inuyasha's arms were wrapped around her waist and her arms were around his neck. Bodies pressed close, foreheads touching and sharing a secret smile, they simply basked in the afterglow for a moment, savoring that had just transpired, both reluctant to move away but knowing they had to return to the real world sometime.

And thus, Inuyasha finally pulled back after one last, tender kiss and raised a clawed hand to tuck a strand of raven hair behind her ear. Her gave her lopsided smile, gazed into those gorgeous ocean eyes and said, "Come with me?"

Kagome didn't even have to think about. "Yes," she breathed, returning his smile with a giddy one of her own and she giggled. Inuyasha chuckled, then pressed a kiss to her forehead before reluctantly releasing her from the circle of his arms, only to snag her around the waist and haul her into his side. Not that Kagome complained; she snuggled right into him with a happy sigh, her own arm going around his middle as together they walked toward the door and Kagome wasn't even thinking about the repercussions of leaving her job without alerting Kaede.

Little did both of them know, however, that said woman had witnessed the whole thing through the storefront window, with a curious husky hanging over her shoulder, and suspected that such a thing might happen, and had prepared for it. Shippou should be here shortly to cover the rest of her shirt.

As the newly united Soulmates stepped out into the bright sunshine, they paused, exchanged a happy, knowing glance, then tipped their heads back as one and took in for the first time what had been denied them since birth.

The brilliantly sunny, clear blue sky had never looked so beautiful.


End file.
